Automatic mine-door



N. K. BOWMAN.

AUTOMATIC MINE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.14, 1920.

1,374,547. Patented Apr. 12,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

K. BO'WMAN.

AUTOMATiC MINE DOOR.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 14, 1920.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M X. Beau/lama.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON KQYBOWMAN, OF CANTON, OHIO.

. .AUTOMATIC MINE-DOOR.

i To all whom it may; concern Be it known that I, NEWTON K. BowMAN, a citizen of the United States, resid ng at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mme- Doors, ofwhich the following is a speclfication. 7

. Thi s invention relates to an improved automaticmine door and has as one of its principal objects to provide a door wherem theoperating mechanism therefor w ll be so constructed and arranged as to facllitate cleaning about the mechanism between the ties of thefmine track.

The invention has as a further ObJBCt to provide a door which'will readily respond to its operating mechanism but wherein the door will, under normalfcircumstances, be effectually held closed.

And he invention has as'a still further object to provide a door wherein cushioning means will be provided-*for absorbing any sudden or undue shocks upon the door operating mechanism so as to prevent the door' from being violently thrown open and consagiently injured.

ther and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

' d 12 normally overlapping at then inner In the drawings: p I 1 I 'Figure 1 1s a plan vlewof a m ne ooor constructed in accordance with'the present invention, the operating mechanism at one side of the door only being illustrated,

Fig. 2 is a detail of a crank arm carried by one of the leaves of the door,

Fig. '3 is a detail of a crank arm connected to the other leaf of the door,

v Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, r Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken-on the'line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows,

- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective showing a part of the trip mechanism, and

Fig.7 is a detail perspective showing the mounting for the free end of the triplever employe I 1 In carrying the invention into effect, I

employ a door frame 10 which, as suggested.

in Fig. 1 of the drawings, preferably stands diagonally of the minestrack and mounted to swing within the frame is the mlne door. This door is formed of companion leaves 11 between this post and the adjacent vertical post ofthe door frame, the leaf l1 vof the door being designed to engage the fence forlimiting the door movement. A s

Mounted upon the inner vertical margin of the leaf 11 of thedoor is acrank arm 17 bolted or otherwisesecured 'at its'inn'er end to. the leaf and provided, as particularly shown in Fig. 2, with a laterally directed in its extreme opening Extending from the bumper. ,post 15 is providedand,

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d A 12 1 21 Application filed February 14, 1920. Seria1,No. 35 8,673. 5

leg 18 resting against the inner vertical,

strip .of the leafand sustaining the outer end portion ofthe arm to extend away from.

the. leaf beyon'dtheinner edge-thereof. At its outer end the arm is. provided with-an enlarged substantially triangular shaped head 19 and is slotted, as shown at '20, so

that the outer end of the arm is thus,- in

efiect, formed into a clevis. Through the head is provided a plurality of spaced openings 21 and freely received within the slot 20 is one end of a turnbuckle 22 detac'hably and pivotally connected to the head by "a suitable pin engaged through one of said openings. To the opposite end of the turnbuckle is connected a closing spring 23. for. the door, this spring'beingsecured to the post 15 in any approved mannen; Thus, it will. be seen that the spring will constantly urge the'door to closed position and, of

course, the tension of the spring maybe.

'variedby adjusting the turnbuckle. However, due to different conditions arising" under practical installation, it is very often found desirable to increase ordecrease'the leverage of the spring uponthe door and thus vary the effective pressure of the spring. As will be seen, thislatter result may be accomplished by selectively engaging the pin of the turnbuckle within the se ries of openings-21 in the head 19, these openings being arranged so that the effective length of the arm 17. may not only be readilyincreased or decreased but also so that the normal tension upon the spring may be readily. varied through proper adjustment ofthe pin. secured tothe inner vertical margin of the leaf 12 of the door is a crank arm 24:, the

Bolted or otherwise outer end portion 'of which is preferably curved in the direction of the door frame.

Extending at opposite sides ofvthe door is the operating mechanism therefor but since the structure at each side of the door is identical, that at one sideonly will be described in detail.

of the mine track, at'proper points along a Secured to suitable ties the track,are, as particularly shown in Fig.

6, pairs. of spaced'brackets 25. As will be noted, these brackets are formed to seat against the vertical side face of a tie and formed on the bracket bases are flanges 26 engaging over the upper face of'the tie. 7 As suggested, lag bolts may be employed for securing thebrackets in position and pivoted uponthe outer ends of the brackets are pairsof sleeves 27 ,;the innermostsleeve.

of each "of said" pairs carrying an arm. .28.

Fitted through eachpair of sleeves is a squared rock shaft 29 held by suitable set bolts upon the sleeves and fitted upon the outer end of each of said shafts is an upfstanding' arm 30'disposed at substantially rightangles to the arms 28. It is now to be observed that, in mounting each pair of the brackets upon a single tie, access may be readily had between said tie and the next 3 adj acenttie for cleaning. out between such ties beneath the rock shafts 29 so' that the arms 28 and of said shafts may always freely swing. T othe arms 28 are connected links 31 andsupportedby these links is a preferably channel shaped operating bar 32;

The bar'is mounted to extend'at the inner side of one of the rails ofthe mine track and,

' as will be best observed upon reference to I Fig. .6, the flange of the bar adjacent-the rail issomewhat shorter than the other flange of the bar.

"sections, the outermost of which, indicated at 33, provides atrip lever for depressing the bar and opening the door, said section inclined longitudinally; Mounted between adjacent ties of the mine being i normally track near ,the' outer end of the section 33 is. as shown'in detail in Fig.- 7, a saddle 1 plate 34. V Thisplate is provided at itsinner 5 end with lateral lugs 35 overhanging the adjacent track ties and receiving lag bolts or other approved fastenings therethroughr The plate extends beneaththe adjacent rail of the track and at'its outer end portion is provided with spaced longitudinally extend-' ing lugs 36, and seated upon these lugs are clamps 37 engaging over the base flange of i said rail for thus rigidly sustaining the plate. Rising from the inner end portion of the plateisa stop lug 38 and depending from the plate adjacent the base of this lug is a socket orsleeve39. 1 Secured upon the section 33 is a pivot post 40 and, as will now be observed upon reference to Fig. 5,

this post extends freely through the socket The bar isformed of.

39 of the saddle plate for thus sustaining the free end portion of the bar section adjacent to the track rail. Extending from the post beneath the bar section is a laterally directed plate 41 upon the lower edge of vwhich is formed a knife edge or V-shaped rib 42 which, under normal conditions, will seat against the saddle plate for supporting thefree end portion of the bar section to rock thereon. However, it often proves necessary to elevate the free end portion of the bar section and I1 accordingly providex spacers 43. These spacers are formed with openings to freely receive the post 40 therethrough and .i'nay, as suggested in Fig. 7 5, be positioned upon the saddle plate abutting the stop lug 38 thereof when therib 42 will contact the uppermost of said spacers for pivotally supporting the bar section elevated in proper uxtaposition with respect-to the adjacent track rail, the post, of course, serving to retain the spacers'upon the saddle plate.

a 'clevis 44 in which slides a cross head 45 Pivotally connected to the upper end of that one'of the arms 30 nearest the door is V and connected; at one end to this cross head is a rod 46 which extends freely through "the bight of the clevis and at its opposite end is pivotally connected to thefr-ee end of the, crank arm 24. The corresponding rod extending atthe opposite side of the the rod to bear between the cross head and the bight'of the clevis is a cushioning spring door is, as shown inFig. 1, pivotally connected to the crank arm' 17. "Surrounding .47., Pivoted'upon the upper ends of the,

otherof the arms 30 arepairs oflinks48 and extending between said pairs of links as.

well as between the inner pair and the outer be seenythe operating bar'is coupled with end of the elevis are rods 49. Thus, as will the door 'so'that when said barlis depressedby the en agement of a car with the section the car progresses toward the door, the bar will, of course, be held depressed V for main taining the door open and before the rear wheels of the car have'left said bar the forwardwheels of the car will have moved into engagement with the barat the oppo- 33 of the bar, the door will be opened. As

site side of the doorIso thatthe doonwill as will be seen, be absorbed in maximum degree by the spring 47, so that this spring will prevent-such shock from being communicated directly to the door and the door being violently opened.

In conjunction with the closing spring 23 for the door I employ a weighted lever 50. This lever is mounted upon the outer end portion of one of the rock shafts 29 and adjustable longitudinally upon the lever is its weight 51. When the door is closed thelever stands in a horizontal position while when the door is open, the lever will stand in a substantially perpendicular position. Accordingly, as the tension of the spring 23 upon the door is increased, the effect of the weight tending to close the door will be proportionately decreased and vice versa, the weight and spring thus operating conjunctively to maintain a substantially uniform tension upon the door tending to urge the door to closed position. 1

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: V a

1. A device of the character described ineluding a door formed of companion leaves coupled to swing simultaneously in opposite directions, operating means' for opening the door including a crank arm secured to one of said leaves, means upstanding near the door and engageable by one of the leaves for limiting said leaves in their opening movement, and a spring extending between .the crank arm andsaid last -mentioned' means normally holding the door closed.

2; A device of the characterdescribed including a door formed of companion leaves coupled to swing simultaneously in opposite directions, operating means for opening the door including a crank arm connected to one of said leaves, a spring connected to said crank arm normally holding the door closed, means whereby the leverage of the spring upon the door may be varied, and means for tensioning said spring.

3. A'device of the character described including'a door formed of companion leaves coupled to swing simultaneously in opposite directions, operating means for opening the door including a crank arm provided with a head, a spring for normally holding the door closed, andmeans for adjustably connecting the spring with the head to vary the tension of the spring.

4. In a device of the character described, a door, operating means for opening the door including a crank arm having an enlarged head provided with a plurality of spaced openings therethrough, a closing spring for the door, and means selectively engageable in said openings for connecting the spring with the arm.

5. In a device of the character described, a door, and operating means for opening the door including a trip lever operatively connected with the door, a saddle plate, and a post carried by the lever and freely engaged through the plate.

6. In a device of the character described, 7 i

a door, and operating means for opening the door including a depressible'operating bar operatively connected" with the door and formedof sections, one of said sections providing a normally inclined trip lever, a saddle plate, a post upon the lever freely engaged through the plate, and a spacer n mounted upon the plate beneath thelever and freely receiving the post therethrough for elevating the free end portion of the lever.

8. In a deviceof the character described,

the combination of a door formed of companion leaves coupled to swing simultaneously in opposite directions, operating. means for opening the door including a crank arm connected to one of said leaves, a

"spring fixed'at one end and connected at its opposite end to said crank arm for normally holding the door closed, and means upon upon the-door may be varied. I

9. In a device of the character described, V

a door, and operating means for opening the door including a trip lever operatively connected with the door, a saddle plate, means -upon the lever freely engaged through said plate, and a spacer mounted upon the plate beneaththe lever and freely receiving the said means therethrough for elevating the free end portion of the lever.

10. Ina device of the character described, a door, and operating means for opening the door including a trip lever operatively con-' nected with the door, a saddle plate, a spacer resting upon said plate and bearing beneath the free end portion of the lever, and.

means carried bythe lever connecting the spacer with the plate.

v 11. In a device of the character described,

a door, andoperating means for opening the I door including a trip lever operatively connected with the door, a saddle plate having anupstanding stop lug, a post carried by the lever and freely engaging through the plate,an'd a spacer mounted upon the plate beneath the lever to abut said stop lug and freely receiving the post therethrough for elevating the free end portion of the lever.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NEWTON K. BOWMAN. [L.s.]

95 i the arm whereby the leverage of the spring 

